Oldest celebration

The celebration of the New Year is the oldest of all holidays. It was first observed in ancient Babylon about 4000 year ago. In the years around 2000 BC, the Babylonian new year began whit the first new moon (actually the first visible crescent) after the vernal equinox (first day of spring). The beginning of the spring is a logical time to start a new year. After all, it the season of rebirth, of planting new crops, and of blossoming. The Romans continued to observe the New Year in the late march, but their calendar was continually tampered with various emperors so that calendar soon became out of synchronization with the sun. in order to set calendar right, the roman senate, in 153 BC, declared January 1 to the beginning of the new year. But tampered continue until Julius Caesar, in 46 BC, established what has come to be known as the Julian calendar. It again established January 1 as the New Year. But in order to synchronize the calendar with the sun, Caesar had to let previous year drag to 445 days. The January was dedicated by the Romans to their god of gates and doors, Janus. A very Old Italian God, Janus has a distinctive artistic appearance in that he is commonly depicted whit two face-one regarding what behind and the other looking toward what lies ahead. Thus, Janus is representative of contemplation on the happening of an old year while looking forward to the new.
From talk magazine December 2006 editon.